Nigeria clamps down on dagga farmers

West Africa police destroying dagga plants

from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, NigeriaABUJA, (CAJ News) – NIGERIA has intensified a crackdown against cannabis (dagga) farming following the recovery of over 10 000 bags of the illegal product at a warehouse west of the country.

A suspect, only identified as Peter, is on the run following the
confiscation of the cannabis weighing more than 132 tonnes in a remote community in the Ondo State.

He is said to be the chairman of the Cannabis Cultivators Association in the state.

The cannabis, allegedly belonging to over 30 farmers, was allegedly stored for distribution to the illicit drug markets.

Armed men guarding the facility fled the scane following the raid by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The agency made the breakthrough under the so-called Operation Thunder Strike II.

NDLEA had earlier stormed some forests in the region and destroyed several hectares of cannabis plantations and storage facilities.

“This exercise has helped to financially incapacitate the cultivators and made wasted efforts of planting and harvesting,” said Jonah Achema, NDLEA Public Affairs Officer.

“The agency would like to assure cannabis farmers in Ondo and other parts of the country that they will suffer more losses through the activities of the agency in this harvest season.”

Cannabis is illegal in Nigeria yet the country is a major source of the
drug in West Africa.

The possession of cannabis in Nigeria is punishable by a minimum sentence of 12 years in prison.

Life imprisonment may be imposed in serious trafficking cases.

The previous military government imposed the death sentence on such cases.